


The Midnight Duel - Take Two

by VerityGrahams



Series: Pride of Portree - QLFC - Season 7 - Chaser 1 [10]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Canon Compliant, Draco Malfoy is a Brat, Draco Malfoy is a Little Shit, Draco gets owned, Duelling, Gen, Harry Potter is Obsessed with Draco Malfoy, Midnight Duel, One Shot, Pranks, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, first year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21736012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VerityGrahams/pseuds/VerityGrahams
Summary: What is Harry and Ron wanted to get revenge on Malfoy for not showing up the the duel in their first year, might it go something like this?
Relationships: Harry Potter & Ron Weasley
Series: Pride of Portree - QLFC - Season 7 - Chaser 1 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1383895
Kudos: 11





	The Midnight Duel - Take Two

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I do not own Harry Potter
> 
> Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition
> 
> Team: Pride of Portree
> 
> Position: Chaser 1 - Write a story using your Chaser 2's main location from their first QL fic this season - General Hogwarts (various locations)
> 
> Optional Prompts:
> 
> 8\. [ Quote] 'I'm not cocky, I'm rightfully confident.'
> 
> 5\. [Quote] 'We were evenly matched, which was to say neither of us was particularly good.'
> 
> 10\. [Word] Tenuous
> 
> Word count: 1789
> 
> Note: This is placed after the midnight duel chapter, but before Hermione becomes friends with Ron and Harry.

The Midnight Duel - Take Two

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had discovered many things since they had started at Hogwarts. They found that Peeves was a nightmare and exactly what you didn't want when late for a lesson. They discovered that there was one step that you needed to skip lest your foot sinks through the staircase, they even learned that there was a three-headed dog when out past curfew. That had only been the other night, and they were still feeling a little sore about. It had nothing to do with the dog, or even Hermione Granger — a know-it-all who takes it upon herself to tell them off and shows off in lessons. What made them so sore was that they had been tricked by someone far more annoying than Hermione — Draco Malfoy.

It was a few days later that Harry and Ron saw their opportunity for payback. They were stood outside the potions classroom waiting for Professor Snape to let them in. Ron heard Malfoy laughing and joking about Harry and Ron being chased down at midnight by Filch.

'Can you believe that slimy git?' Ron asked.

'I know,' Harry continued, raising his voice loud enough for the Slytherins to hear, 'Malfoy was too scared to show up for a little duel.'

That caught Malfoy's attention. 'Did I hear right, Potter? You think I'm scared of a little duel — with you?' he asked, laughing.

'Well, you didn't show up.'

'Harry, he was probably scared of Filch,' Ron replied, catching on to Harry's plan. 'We all know that Slytherins are cowards.'

Harry smirked. 'True.' He grinned at Malfoy.

'I'm not scared of that Squib, and I'm not scared of you either, Potter! I can beat you in a duel, just name the time and place!'

'Bit cocky aren't you, Malfoy?' Ron asked teasingly.

'I'm not cocky, I'm rightfully confident.' Malfoy sneered at Ron. 'Shouldn't take too much effort to beat a Weasley and Scarhead.'

He was soon silenced when Professor Snape arrived, and despite the overwhelming urge to have the last word, Harry knew that Snape would take about a million points from Gryffindor if he stepped a toe out of line.

* * *

Later, in the common room, Harry and Ron were just finishing a dramatic retelling of the incident outside Potions.

'Yeah, and then when we were about to leave we set the time and place,' Ron said. 'I don't think the git was expecting that! You should have seen his face; he looked like he might hurl.'

'The best bit was that all the Slytherins were egging him on, so he can't back out now!' Harry laughed.

'You're really going to go, aren't you?' someone else asked.

Ron turned around, and there she was, Hermione Granger. 'No one asked your opinion. Did you ask for her opinion, Harry?'

'I don't think I did. It's really none of your business, is it?'

'I just thought that even you two were smarter than that,' she said, looking down her nose at the two of them. 'I mean, you can't win!' she scoffed.

'And who says I can't win?' Harry asked, standing up and facing Hermione, his arms folded.

'Your rather _tenuous_ understanding of the basics of magic, Harry. That's what tells me that you can't even hit Malfoy with a spell, never mind win a duel!' Hermione had that self-important look on her face that annoyed Harry and Ron more than anything else — even Malfoy. 'Maybe if you focused more on homework and classes, you would be able to perform more spells.'

'You have no idea what I am capable of!'

'Did you manage to change the colour of your matchstick yet?' she asked. 'No. Besides, duelling and fighting are against school rules, and if you go, I'll tell Professor McGonagall. Or worse, Professor Snape.'

It was for that reason that they never revealed the time and place. Hermione Granger was a stickler for the rules and Harry and Ron didn't doubt her when she said that she would tell. They would feel bad that she had no friends, except she really knew how to rub them up the wrong way. As they were traipsing up to bed that night, they continued to complain about Hermione and throw around ideas for the duel.

' _Your rather tenuous understanding of basic magic,_ ' Ron said, mimicking Hermione. 'I can't believe she said that. Your bloody Harry Potter!'

'True,' said Harry uneasily. 'I still didn't change the colour of my matchstick, though.'

'Has anyone but Hermione?' Ron said as they got into bed, waiting for their dormmates to fall asleep so they could sneak out.

* * *

Harry and Ron found it quite easy to sneak out of the common room. After all, Hermione wasn't waiting for them this time. The corridors were also surprisingly quiet, so they made it to the Trophy Room with no issues at all. Last time they were here, Malfoy had told Filch, who had been waiting for them. Tonight they were waiting for only a few minutes before he showed his face.

'Scared, Potter?' he smirked.

'You wish, Malfoy.' Harry pulled out his wand, pointing it at his opponent.

The blond-haired boy laughed. 'Have you never had a duel before? That isn't how you stand!'

The two thug-like boys behind him sniggered stupidly. They were always there, behind Malfoy, more like bodyguards than friends. It seemed like they were supposed to be intimidating, but Harry and Ron felt that the two dim wits could be easily outwitted — or outrun. The blond Slytherin took up the correct pose, and Harry copied.

'Ready to eat dirt, Malfoy,' said Harry with a smirk plastered on his face.

'Now who's cocky!' he said, his sneer showing all of that Malfoy arrogance.

'I'm rightfully confident!' Harry replied, mimicking his opponents earlier words. ' _Locomotor Mortis!'_

He thrust his wand clumsily towards Malfoy, and the words were slightly mispronounced. The result was the Slytherin's legs locking together, for a moment at least. Malfoy wobbled and fell flat on his face before his legs sprang apart once more.

'You'll pay for that you filthy–' Malfoy began but became far more concerned with trying to untangle himself from his robes with at least a little grace.

Harry, however, was desperately trying to think of another curse. Maybe a curse that he knew well enough to perform correctly. As he was wrecking his brain for any idea, Malfoy acted.

' _Rictumsempra!'_ Malfoy shouted the curse, and eloquently too.

It was his wand movement that was clumsy, and while Harry was momentarily taken out by the tickling charm, it soon faded. Harry, in all the commotion, dropped his wand and decided to go with what he knew. As Malfoy laughed smugly at gaining the upper hand, Harry ran full pelt and tackled him. The pair crashed into one of the trophy cabinets, and almost straight away they could hear Filch approaching.

'Harry, we better go!' Ron grabbed his friend's arm to help him upright. 'It's Filch, quick!'

Without a backward glance, they ran for the Gryffindor Common Room. They had a close call with Mrs Norris but hid behind a conveniently placed tapestry until she passed. They were soon stumbling into the Common Room and climbing the stairs to their dormitory.

'I would call that a win, Harry,' Ron said shortly before their heads hit the pillow, and with all the excitement, they were soon asleep.

* * *

The next morning at breakfast, it was noted that Draco Malfoy had two great big black eyes. Ron and Harry couldn't help but snigger, he certainly had won that duel… although not by conventional means. The rest of the boys in Gryffindor had enjoyed gathering in the common room to hear the tale in full. Harry and Ron were more than happy to do a completely – and slightly embellished – reenactment.

In the retelling, Ron played the part of Malfoy, a version that didn't have quite the same air of grace and dignity as the real-life counterpart tried to maintain. Ron's version was a lot less arrogant and seemed to be afraid of Harry's version of… well, Harry.

'Harry, you need to go easy, we can't all defeat Dark Lords!' Ron said in a simpering voice – it didn't sound much like Malfoy, but it made Seamus laugh.

'Malfoy, that isn't even the proper stance!' Harry replied, haughtily as he showed off his perfect stance – the pose that he had learnt from the Malfoy.

Ron held his wand aloft, and he mimicked the Slytherin asking for help from his thuggish friends.

Harry whirled his wand elegantly in the air. 'Then I said the spell. I can't do it now 'cause I don't want to hurt Ron.' He thrust his wand forcefully towards his friend.

Ron then played the finale fantastically, throwing himself backwards with tremendous force, whimpering and begging Harry to stop.

'Please, Harry, no more!'

'I will,' Harry replied, pocketing his wand. 'Just remember, Draco, only be cocky if you have something to back it up with.'

Harry showed himself to be the height of maturity and chivalry when he held out a hand for Ron's version of Malfoy. The crowd watching the performance cheered and laughed – all of them sure that this is exactly how the duel had been executed.

It was later in the evening that Hermione came over. All the fuss had finally died down, and she sat opposite them.

'That story, it was quite impressive. Is that _really_ what happened?' she asked, looking down at Harry and Ron.

'Of course, that's what happened!' Ron replied with a little too much irritation in his voice. 'You saw Malfoy's black eyes!'

'I did…'

Hermione took the seat in front of them and pursed her lips in a thoughtful expression.

'The thing is, if that _was_ what happened, I should apologise to Harry. It would take a lot more than a _tenuous_ understanding of magic to do that with a leg locker curse. It would have to be extremely powerful.' Hermione looked at Harry, and he could swear she had a knowing look in her eyes.

'So, was Malfoy as pathetic an opponent as you made out?' she asked.

Harry grimaced, feeling as though he was already caught out. He took a deep breath and finally said, 'We were evenly matched, which was to say neither of us was particularly good.'

'That's what you get for not paying attention in lessons!' Then, as though she had finally made the point she had been trying to make since term started, she got up and walked away.

'Aren't you glad you have me for a friend, Harry? Imagine being friends with her, she'd probably drag us to the Library all the time.'

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, please comment and Kudos


End file.
